


tale as old as time

by lotts (LottieAnna)



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: 2016-2017 NHL Season, 2017 Memorial Cup, Closeted Character, Coming Out, Connor dates around for a lil bit just a heads up, First Time, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, I re-downloaded Tinder to write this, M/M, Non-Explicit Descriptions of Illness, Obliviousness, Podfic Available, Romance, Sharing a Bed, True Love's Kiss, canon-typical alcohol use, dating apps, gay epiphanies, mentions of terrible playoffs beards, modern fairytale, questionable driving practices
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-04
Updated: 2017-06-04
Packaged: 2018-11-08 19:42:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11088603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LottieAnna/pseuds/lotts
Summary: The one where Connor McDavid lives happily ever after, despite himself.





	tale as old as time

**Author's Note:**

> IF YOU FOUND THIS THROUGH GOOGLING, KNOW ANYONE MENTIONED IN THIS STORY PERSONALLY, OR ARE MENTIONED YOURSELF: please, please click away. This is a work of fiction and nothing written in this story is true. Any accurate information used in this story is publicly available information about public figures, the rest is made up, 100%
> 
> This was an idea I had for a different pairing, weirdly enough, inspired by the fact that Mitch Marner played the end of the season with mono. But then I realized that True Love's Kiss was a trope I wanted to see for McStrome, so I changed some stuff around and we ended up here. I never thought I'd be one of those authors who accidentally writes 12k? But this was much shorter when I finished the first draft, and then I showed it to tots, who told me that they loved it but the ending felt flat, and I agreed, so I decided to write more of the "happily ever after" part, and I like this much better. 
> 
> Thanks to ftc for being an amazing, patient beta, and capturing my numerous typos; thanks to tots for pushing me to make this a much better story; thanks to my partner, who doesn't even like hockey or fanfiction but read this anyway. 
> 
> This was almost called "Kiss the Captain."
> 
> Living situations were altered for the sake of narrative convenience, title from "Beauty and the Beast," more spoilery warnings in the endnotes! I hope you enjoy!
> 
> EDIT (6/27/15): the section starting with "Over the course of the next week" and ending with "it's nice, anyway" has been reworked after   
> luciferinasundaysuit pointed out in the comments that the original version was problematic in its description of a character of color. I reread the section and went "yikes" and re-did it; hopefully, it's better now. I'm really sorry to anyone who was made uncomfortable by the way it was originally written.

 

“Dude, _what,_ ” Dylan says to Connor over the phone.

Connor groans. “I _know._ ”

“How did this even happen?” Dylan asks. “This is like, pretty fucked up.”

“Just– I don’t know. I’m sick until I fall in love, or whatever,” says Connor.

“Until you find ‘true love’s kiss,’ man,” Dylan says. “Oh my god, this is ridiculous. Can you play?”

“Of course,” Connor says. “Or, I mean, I feel well enough to play. Just, you know. Sore throat and shit.”

“Dude, that sucks,” Dylan says.

“I know. Guess I have to start kissing random chicks and hope one of them is my true love,” Connor says. He doesn’t think he’s anywhere close to finding true love, honestly, but whatever, it’s what he needs to do.

“Well, push through until the offseason, then you can come down here and kiss me once you guys get knocked out of the playoffs,” Dylan chirps.

“Fuck you, man,” Connor says, and he pointedly tries not to picture kissing Dylan.

“Well, feel better, bro,” Dylan offers. “I gotta head out, but–”

“Yeah, same,” Connor says. “Catch you later?”

“Of course,” says Dylan, and Connor hangs up.

He throws his phone on the bed next to him and sighs. It’s not that he loves being single, or whatever– honestly, he’s barely hooked up with anyone in his first couple of seasons.

Well. There was that one time with Mitch in Toronto, but they don’t talk about that _._

But Connor doesn’t like hooking up, which is unfortunate, because he’s kind of… obsessed with the idea of being in love.

He doesn’t even know what “true love’s kiss” means, just heard the phrase repeated at him time and time again at the doctor’s office today, after all the usual medical causes of his perpetual sore throat had been ruled out. They hadn’t said he needs to like, get married or anything, but apparently, for the sake of his health, he has to start kissing people and hoping one of those people is the right person.

In a perfect world, Connor thinks, he’d become best friends with a pretty girl, and they’d gradually get closer, and then leaning in to kiss her would be the most natural thing in the world anyway, and they’d just… fall into it.

Which probably won’t really work out. That’s the kind of thing that happens in like, romantic comedies, and apparently Connor’s body is demanding a fairytale.

* * *

He downloads Tinder on doctor’s orders, which is super weird.

“I don’t think people can fall in love on Tinder,” Connor says to the doctor.

“There have been several instances, particularly in cases like this, where couples have matched successfully via dating apps,” the doctor replies. “Tinder is the most popular one, but there are others. Give it a shot. The worst that can happen is that you go out on a few dates.”

Connor doesn’t want to date random girls off Tinder. He knows there are people who keep track of which hockey players are on what dating apps, and he’d feel weird about doing anything with a fan.

He tries it anyway, though, and stays up late that night swiping left and right and getting messages from random girls, and plenty of them seem perfectly nice, and he even has a couple of conversations, but–

But he doesn’t want this, he thinks. It’s a lot of work, and he doesn’t think he’s gonna find true love this way.

He deletes the app, and texts Dylan instead.

_Connor: a doctor made me download tinder_

_Dylan: were u not on tinder?_

_Connor: no?_

_Dylan: dude everyone’s on tinder_

_Connor: i feel like im not gonna have true love’s kiss with someone i met on tinder_

_Dylan: u never know!_

_Dylan: some guys on the team have legit gf’s now that they met there_

_Dylan: maybe bumble?_

_Connor: there r 2 many apps_

_Dylan: #oldman_

_Connor: shut up lol_

He sends Dylan a snap that’s just his face in bed, and doesn’t let himself think about why he keeps retaking it until he’s satisfied with the way his face looks.

* * *

To his credit, Connor goes out on one legitimate date with a girl he meets on Bumble. She’s really beautiful and incredibly smart, and he’s kind of scared the whole time.

“So, yeah, I’m taking the MCAT this April, and then hopefully going to medical school after I graduate,” she says, and Connor doesn’t really know how to respond.

“Wow, that’s… really cool,” he says, and he feels bad when it sounds fake. “How long have you wanted to, like, be a doctor?”

“Oh, since I was a kid,” she says. “Part of it was my parents, but I always really loved science and math stuff, and then I thought I was going to go into chemistry, but medicine was just always… I don’t know, something that felt worthwhile, you know?”

Connor doesn’t quite know. The only thing he’s ever wanted to do is play hockey. “That’s really incredible, I can’t even imagine,” he responds. “I was terrible at science and stuff back in school.”

“Oh, really?” she says, and now she looks uncomfortable.

“Well, I mean– I know things from the trainers? About sports injuries and stuff.”

“Oh! Well, that’s important,” she says, and it turns out she’s a runner, so they talk about ways to prevent knee injuries and schedule workouts for the rest of the dinner. They don’t go for dessert, though, and Connor pays for both of them, because he feels bad for being such boring company.

It’s not a bad date, as far as dates go– she’s clearly an incredible person, and Connor kind of wants to like, be friends with her. But they part ways, and Connor sort of gets a gut feeling that it isn’t gonna go anywhere.

He has no idea what to make of the whole thing, so he texts Dylan.

_Connor: i just had a date_

_Dylan: ooooh how was it_

_Connor: idk? she left_

_Dylan: like early?_

_Connor: no she got a cab back to her place_

_Connor: i think she was great but we don’t wanna date each other?_

_Dylan: well sounds like she’s not ur true love then, bud_

_Dylan: it’s okay, maybe next one will be better._

_Connor: she was like really pretty and smart tho_

_Dylan: oh that’s why she wasn’t into you_

That isn’t the most helpful thing to hear right now, so Connor lets the text sit, read receipts on, for a few minutes, and sure enough, Dylan texts him first.

_Dylan: lol_

_Dylan: jk dude sry was that mean._

_Connor: ur an asshole_

_Dylan: maybe but u love me <3 _

_Dylan: srsly tho dude you’ll be fine, it’d be weird if ur first date turned out to be your true love_

_Connor: i guess_

There’s no response from Dylan after that, which makes Connor kind of sad, but whatever. He tries to think about the date he just had, and how to make the next one better instead.

He doesn’t think about Dylan at all.

* * *

Connor doesn’t go out on any more dates for a while, and instead focuses on pretending he’s not exhausted and that his throat isn’t killing him all the time for the next few weeks. He pretty much channels all his energy into hockey. Dylan was right to tell him to push it to the offseason; there’s talk of them making the playoffs, and Connor doesn’t think that meeting his true love right now would end particularly well. He’s too busy, and so is she, probably.

But he does have time to go out with the guys, every so often. Sometimes it’s all of them, but sometimes it’s a small group. Tonight, it’s just him and Nuge.

“Dude,” Connor says, after his third– fourth?– rum and coke of the night. “It’s just– this true love thing is hard, you know?”

Nuge laughs. “What, don’t wanna be tied down?”

“No, I want that! Like, I wanna be tied down, you know?” Connor says, and immediately blushes. “I mean, romantically. I want to fall in love. Not– you know.”

“Gotcha, we’re talking about love, not bondage,” Nuge says. “But dude, if you want to fall in love, you’ve gotta get out there.”

“Great advice, never heard that before,” Connor says, rolling his eyes.

“What, you’re here with me instead of meeting girls,” Nuge says. “It’s not terrible advice.”

“That’s different,” Connor says. “It, like– it takes a lot of work, you know?”

“What, dating someone? I’m pretty sure if you like them, it doesn’t feel like that much work.”

Connor furrows his brow at that. “I don’t think that’s true at all. Like, for friends, maybe, yeah, but like, if I’m dating a chick? I dunno, that’s so much effort.”

“Is it?” Nuge says, raising an eyebrow.

Connor sighs. “Man, it would be so much easier if I could just, like, date a bro, you know?” Which, like, is kind of a dangerous thing for him to say out loud, but he’s drunk, so he lets himself.

“I mean, you… could? If that’s what you’re saying,” Nuge says.

“I– what? No, that wasn’t what I was– I mean, that’s not what I was going for,” Connor says.

Nuge gives him a look. “You’re sure,” he says, and it’s not really a question.

“I– I get why you’d think that, from, uh, the phrasing, but, no?”

“Okay, fine,” Nuge says. “What do you mean when you say you want to ‘date a bro’?”

“I–” Connor starts, and then purses his lips, because maybe, yeah, talking this through will help. “I dunno. Like, dating people off of apps or whatever, it’s like– like I want to already be in love with someone by the time we’re on a date, right? Like, I dunno, shouldn’t your girlfriend be your best friend?”

“Well, yeah,” Nuge says. “But don’t you have friends who are girls?”

“I mean, yes, but– I dunno. It’s not… it’s not the same?” And oh, shit, Connor is on the verge of a realization and he’s a little too trashed for this right now. “I don’t know, it’s weird. Anyway, did you catch the Penguins game?” he asks, the deflection unsubtle.

Nuge gives him another look before he says that he did, and Connor breathes a sigh of relief as they launch into an analysis of the Pens defense.

* * *

The next morning, Connor wakes up and makes a fake Facebook account with a ton of cropped, shirtless mirror selfies, then makes Bumble and Tinder accounts with it. His hands shake a bit when he sets his preferences to “guys and girls” on both of them.

Then he starts swiping, and–

And, for the first time– since the Marns thing, which he doesn’t talk about– he lets himself picture what it would be like, to just, like, do this, live like this. He sees a picture of a cute guy and lets himself think, for a second, that the guy is cute, and he doesn’t worry what the implications of feeling these things might be.

And it feels…

Well, he’s always known that it would feel right. As much as he’s tried to not think it, it’s always felt more normal to him, to want to spend time with guys, impress them, make them smile. The first person he ever thought about kissing was a teammate. He remembers all the times he stuttered and blushed at the approval of a nice, cute boy; he remembers talking to a girl at a party and being confused when his friends asked if he liked her, if he thought she was pretty. He’s always thought that everyone had just learned something faster than him, that he was a late bloomer, but truth is, he just– it isn’t for him, liking girls.

Which, yeah, is a big thing to consider.

He texts Nuge, because he’s kind of scared to text Dylan.

_Connor: hey_

_Nuge: whassup_

_Connor: i might be gay?_

He figures he might as well rip the bandaid, and watches the screen until Nuge responds.

_Nuge: whoa congrats_

_Connor: dude help_

_Nuge: how long have u known_

_Connor: not long_

_Nuge: alright meet me in 20 @ starbucks_

_Connor: thank you_

Connor rushes to get ready, and his phone buzzes with a text from Dylan as he’s walking out the door and to his car. But Connor doesn’t really have time to think about Dylan, because that thought is a little scarier than the rest of it, so he ignores it.

* * *

Nuge has a coffee ordered for him when he gets to Starbucks, and Connor is sheepish when he sits down across from him at the small table in the corner, both of them wearing sunglasses, hats, and hoodies.

“So,” Nuge starts. “you’re, uh–”

“I don’t know,” Connor says, a little distressed. “I just– like, I don’t know, man.”

“Right,” says Nuge. “Well, are you into dudes?”

Connor looks around to make sure no one is looking when he nods his head.

“And are you into girls?” Nuge says, and that one’s a bit harder for Connor to process.

“I… I haven’t been, really, in the past,” he confesses.

“Alright, well, then, that’s that,” Nuge says. “So, uh, yeah, congrats. Have you looked anything up?”

Connor blinks at him. “What does that mean?”

“Like, I dunno, sometimes people just google it and try and figure out what the steps are” Nuge says.

“Are there steps?” Connor says. “Like, what do I do?”

“So, uh, my understanding is, you either tell people, or you don’t, depending,” Nuge says.

“Okay, but like, does it say if I should tell my parents, or like, management, or the team first? Or like–”

“Uh, I don’t think you have to tell anyone first,” Nuge says. “It’s up to you.”

Connor groans. “I hate making decisions.”

“It’ll be alright, Cap,” Nuge says. “But, uh, how did you know?”

”I dunno, I sort of was thinking about it last night, and then this morning, I, uh, started looking at guys on Tinder and stuff, and then– yeah?”

“But there was like… nothing before?” Nuge says.

“I mean– well, there was some stuff.” Connor blushes as he says it.

“Like… like what kind of stuff?” Nuge asks. “I mean, if you want to–”

“Uh, there was one time this season, when I sort of… you know. With a guy.”

Nuge blinks at him. “And you didn’t realize then?”

Connor shrugs. “I mean, don’t most guys do it sometimes? I’m pretty sure he wasn’t–”

“No, I don’t– I don’t think most straight dudes hook up with other dudes,” Nuge says, and he’s clearly the worst, because he’s definitely having a hard time not laughing, which, _rude._

“Shut up,” Connor says.

“So, the whole true love’s kiss thing–”

“Could be a guy, yeah. Probably is,” Connor says.

“Probably a good thing, though, right? Like, now you can actually get better.”

“If we don’t make the playoffs, it’ll be my fault, because I was too busy being in the closet to be a good hockey player,” Connor grumbles.

“No, come on, you just have to kiss a bunch of your friends,” Nuge says.

“What does that even mean?” Connor says.

“Like, I don’t know. You were talking about how you want to date one of your best friends, so, like, do you have a thing for anyone?” asks Nuge. “Won’t be weirded out if it’s me.”

“It’s not you,” Connor promises. “But– I don’t know. It’s sort of hard to tell what’s what, you know? Like, if I really like someone, it’s just– I literally just realized I _could_ be into guys. I don’t know how to tell if I like someone.”

“Maybe hockey’s your true love,” Nuge suggests, and Connor thinks he’s being serious for a second, until he looks up and sees Nuge smirking at him.

“Thanks for your help,” he says, rolling his eyes as he takes out his phone, where there’s a text from Dylan waiting for him from before.

_Dylan: dude im sick too how do u play like this it blows_

Connor winces, and texts back before he even thinks about it.

_Connor: :/ i’m sorry_

_Connor: drink lots of tea!!!_

_Dylan: <3 <3 <3 _

“Who’s that?” Nuge says, looking intrigued.

“Oh, Stromer’s sick,” Connor says, and his face turns red as he says Dylan’s name, which is pretty unfair considering he hasn’t even like, admitted that to himself yet.

“Stromer, huh?” Nuge says with a look in his eye, and Connor kind of wants to die.

 _Alright,_ he tells himself, because he might as well go all in on realizations today. He nods. “I mean, he’s not– he’s not the guy I– it’s just–” Connor is feeling a little helpless.

“Oh,” Nuge says. “That blows, man.”

And yeah, it does.

* * *

Over the course of the next week, Connor kisses every friend on the team he’s ever been at least a little bit in love with.

He does end up kissing Nuge in his car, mostly because it seems like he should, and also, because he kind of wants to kiss a guy, just because. And it’s really nice, but his throat is still sore afterwards, which he’d kind of expected.

The next step is Leon, because he’s really hot, and he agrees easily enough. He’s even the one to lean in, cupping Connor’s face in his hand, and Connor is a bit transfixed, even if it is just Leon. It should probably say something that platonically kissing Leon Draisaitl for all of five seconds is, like, one of the most intensely romantic experiences he’s ever had. But, as fun as it is, it’s not true love’s kiss.

He sits Nursey down and have a talk with him, because they live together, and he kind of wants to come out to someone besides Nuge.

“So you know how I have to kiss the love of my life, right?” Connor says, and Nursey nods. “Well, I’m like– like, the love of my life is probably– um, a guy.”

Nursey is quiet for a second, but he doesn’t look disgusted, so at least there’s that. “Oh,” he says. “You’re–”

“Gay,” Connor finishes, and it still feels weird to say out loud.

“Alright. Uh, who knows?” Nursey asks.

“Just Nuge,” Connor says.

“How long have you known?” Nursey asks.

“A few weeks now?” Connor says.

 

“Do you… I don’t know, do you like someone?” asks Nursey.

“I mean–” Connor says. “I don’t know. I guess, but that’s not– I don’t think he’s the guy I need to kiss.”

“Do you want to talk about it anyway?” Nursey says. “Like, if you want.”

“He’s straight, so,” Connor says.

“Ah. Is he– is it someone I know?”

“No?” Connor says. “Like– it’s not someone on the team.”

“Alright. Is he someone you know from hockey?”

Connor looks at his feet as he nods.

“Is it a guy from juniors?”

“This isn’t twenty questions,” Connor says. “I can just– it’s Stromer. Dylan.”

“Oh,” Nursey says. “Oh.”

“Yeah, it kind of– it sucks.”

“I’d imagine,” Nursey says. “Does he know? About the gay thing, I mean.”

“No.”

“Maybe you should tell him,” Nursey suggests.

“Yeah, probably,” Connor says.

"Hey," Nursey says, then leans in and presses a kiss to Connor's lips. 

It doesn't make Connor's throat feel any better, but Connor appreciates it nonetheless. 

"Thanks," Connor says. 

"I take it I'm not your true love?" 

Connor shakes his head. 

"Makes sense," Nursey says. "I'm way out of your league." 

"Whatever," Connor laughs. "Thanks anyway, though. For real." 

"Of course, man. I've got your back. And if you ever want to talk about anything, I'm here," Nursey says. 

"You're a good friend," Connor says, and Nursey gives him a sympathetic smile. It doesn't make Connor feel better about Dylan, but it's nice anyway. 

 

* * *

 Connor takes a deep breath before he hits the “call” button next to Mitch’s name, even though he’s timed it so that Mitch won’t answer.

Except apparently his timing is shit, because Mitch picks up after three rings.

“Hello?” Mitch says, sounding unsure.

“Hey, Marns, what’s up?” Connor says, taken aback.

“Uh, not much? Just– you know, practice and shit.”

“Yeah,” Connor says. “I, uh, wanted to talk to you about– uh.”

“About what?”

“Uh, remember when we played in Toronto? In November?”

“You mean– oh,” Mitch says. “Can I have a second?”

“Yeah, of course,” Connor says.

Mitch shuffles around on the other end, and then speaks. “Hey, sorry, was just– wasn’t alone.”

“Gotcha,” Connor says. “So, uh, we hooked up.”

“Yeah,” Mitch says. “That happened.”

“And we didn’t really– talk about it?”

“That’s also true.”

“But we should.”

“Dude,” Mitch says. “It was like, months ago. I didn’t tell anyone, if that’s your problem.”

“Neither did I,” Connor says. “But, I just– I don’t know. Is that something you do a lot?”

“What?” Mitch asks.

“Like, do you hook up with guys a lot?”

“I– it happens,” Mitch says. “It’s a thing I do. Not– not really hooking up right now, but, yeah, dudes.”

“So you mean, like, you’re gay,” Connor says.

“I’m… I’m both.”

“Bi, you mean?”

“Yeah, that,” Mitch says. “Don’t spread it, okay?”

“Don’t worry,” Connor says. “I won’t. I just– how do you do it?”

“Are you asking me how to pick up guys?” Mitch says.

“More or less,” Connor replies.

“Why?”

“Well– don’t laugh, alright?”

“Alright?” Mitch sounds confused, and Connor can’t really blame him.

Connor launches into an explanation of his whole “true-love’s-kiss” dilemma, and Mitch, to his credit, doesn’t laugh.

“That’s fucked up,” Mitch says. “So you think your true love is a guy?”

“Yeah, I sort of– had like, this big gay epiphany a few weeks ago,” Connor says.

“You– a couple of weeks ago,” Mitch says. “Not when we–”

“Listen–”

“Dude,” Mitch says, and he laughs. “How did you not realize?”

“I don’t know!” Connor says. “I figured it was just a thing dudes do sometimes.”

“It’s not, that’s not– hooking up with guys is, like, literally the gayest thing you can do.”

“Shut up,” Connor says, and Mitch just laughs again.

“Alright, well,” Mitch says, once he’s finally stopped laughing. “Uh, congrats, man? I hope– like, it’s not too bad if you’re trying to get out there to meet guys. You just have to be, you know, discreet.”

“Discreet, right,” Connor says. “What if, theoretically, I’m into someone, but I’m pretty sure he’s straight?”

“Yeah, out of my wheelhouse,” Mitch says. “I think we all go through it, though.”

“Great,” Connor says. “That’s helpful.”

“Have you reached out to You Can Play or anything?”

“I haven’t even told my parents yet, man,” Connor says. “Just a few guys on the team.”

“Really? Not even Stromer?”

Connor is quiet for a second. “I don’t know, I– do you think he’d be cool with it?”

“He’s fine with me,” Mitch says. “If that helps.”

“That does, yeah,” Connor says. “Uh, thanks.”

“No problem, man. Let me know if you ever want to– I don’t know, if you have any questions.”

“Will do. Catch you later,” Connor says, and he hangs up.

* * *

The thing is, he still doesn’t want to talk to Dylan about it.

His throat still hurts like hell, though, so he tries his best to meet other guys. Marns gives him some tips, and tells Connor to set up a Grindr, which Connor does.

Connor gets… a lot of messages.

 _ur hot,_ is the first one he gets, and he’s wondering if he should respond when the second one comes through, and it’s just a dick pic. The third guy asks him if he wants to have his dick sucked, which he does, but probably not from this guy, so he just locks his phone instead of responding.

He goes back to Tinder, where guys seem to actually want to talk.

He flirts decently. A few of them are hockey fans, and Connor talks to those guys with no intention of meeting up ever. There’s even one guy who’s wearing a McDavid jersey on his profile. He’s not Connor’s type, so he swipes left, but it’s still kind of flattering.

Most of his matches are students, including the first guy he meets up with. His name is Max, and he’s from New York, and he’s never really been a big hockey guy. He’s a Mets fan, apparently, and he follows football when the Superbowl is coming up, and his father went to UNC, so he’s really focusing on March Madness right now. This is what Connor learns in a coffee shop Max suggested, which is blessedly devoid of anyone wearing Oilers gear.

“I, uh, I’m a pretty big Jays fan, but no other sports besides that,” Connor says. “I mean, that and, you know, hockey.”

“Do you play still?” Max asks.

“Yeah,” Connor says. “Grew up in Toronto, so most of us find our way to a rink somehow.”

“Is Toronto like here at all? Edmonton is so different from where I grew up,” Max says. “New York is like– so much busier, you know?”

“Yeah? I’ve only been there on like, trips and stuff. What was it like growing up there?”

Apparently it’s the right question to ask, because he talks about New York City for like, ten minutes straight, which is kind of impressive.

“Wow,” Connor says when he’s done. “Sounds like you love it.”

“I mean, yeah. Greatest city in the world, right?”

“Besides Toronto,” Connor says lightly, and they smile at each other, and–

And Connor likes this guy, he realizes. He’s cute, he likes sports, and the conversation is easy. Before he knows it, they’ve been going back and forth for two hours, and the staff is shooting them looks, and Connor doesn’t really want to order another coffee.

“Do you want to get out of here?” Connor says.

“I live right around the corner,” Max offers. “We could go back to mine?”

He doesn’t seem like he’d be mad if Connor said no, and that’s probably why Connor says yes.

The walk back takes five minutes, and Max mentions that his roommates are out as they make their way up the stairs. Connor hasn’t really been in an apartment like this before, but Max isn’t paying for it with an NHL salary like most of Connor’s friends are.

As soon as Max closes the door behind him, Connor kisses him, and Max kisses back.

Connor knows it’s not true love’s kiss as soon as it happens, but fuck it, it feels nice to kiss someone like this, who he doesn’t know, who doesn’t know _him._

“I–” Max says, pulling away. “This is fun, but– is it okay if we keep it at kissing for today?”

“Of course,” Connor says, and they spend the rest of the afternoon making out on the couch.

* * *

Connor meets up with Max a few days later, and they skip coffee and go right to his apartment.

Max even sticks his hand down Connor’s pants, and it’s good, and Connor gets off with another guy for the first time since Marner. Afterwards, Connor goes down on him, and it’s fun, it’s nice, but a few days later, Max messages him to say he’s seeing someone and it’s probably not a good idea for them to hang out anymore. Which is good, because Connor doesn’t have time with the upcoming playoffs push, and he really should focus on true love’s kiss anyway. But it was nice.

He does tell Nuge and Nursey about it one night, when the team is all out. He buys a round of drinks and takes them to a separate table, and they applaud loudly.

“Congrats, man,” Nuge says. “Next round’s on me.”

“Then me,” Nursey says. “This is worth celebrating.”

“Nah, it’s– it’s not like it’s anything new, you know?” Connor says.

“What? You went on a date! With a guy!” Nuge says. “Kind of two dates.”

“Technically, you got dumped,” Nursey says. “It’s our duty to buy you drinks.”

“I didn’t get dumped, it just wasn’t going anywhere,” Connor says.

“But you’re happy it happened, yeah?” Nursey says, and Connor nods and smiles. “So let’s celebrate. To getting laid!” he says, lifting his drink, and Nuge joins him.

From the other table, a couple of the guys are giving them a look, which Connor ignores in favor of downing his drink and letting Nuge and Nursey buy the three of them shots.

By the time Leon wanders over to their table, Connor is pretty drunk.

“Hey,” Leon says, putting a hand on Nuge’s shoulder. “What are you guys celebrating?”

“Connor got laid, and then got dumped,” Nuge says.

“I didn’t get dumped,” Connor says.

“Technically dumped, calls for shots,” Nursey says.

“When?” Leon says. “You don’t hook up.”

“Uh, like, a few days ago,” Connor says. “Met on Tinder.”

“Wasn’t true love’s kiss?” Leon asks, giving him a sympathetic look.

“Yeah, I mean, it was fun, but he–” Connor sort of freezes when he hears the pronoun escape his mouth. “Uh, still kinda sick after,” he continues, hoping he’s covered for it.

“Right,” Leon says, and he looks relatively unphased.

Connor looks to Nursey and Nuge, and they give him a small nod.

“Right, uh, I’m gay,” Connor says. “I went on a date with a guy for the first time, and that’s why we’re celebrating.”

“Oh, then, congrats,” says Leon, smiling. “Another round of drinks? To celebrate? If there’s anyone else you want to tell, I can get some other guys from the team over here.”

Connor thinks about it. “Nah. I mean, you can tell people, I guess? But don’t– I don’t want to make an announcement.”

“Fine by me, I’m getting us shots,” Leon says. “No one’s gonna fuck with you, though, alright?”

“Thanks,” Connor says.

“I’ve got your back, man,” Leon says, then walks away.

“Hey,” Nuge says, once they’re out of earshot. “You’re sure?”

“Yep,” Connor says.

“We could get Pat to kill anyone if they do anything shitty, you know,” Nursey says. “He’d be honored.”

Connor laughs. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

They do more shots after that, and people don’t really ask him questions, but a couple of the guys give him head nods of support, and the night passes in a blur.

By the time Nuge is loading him into a cab, Connor is significantly farther out of the closet and thoroughly wasted, which might be why he texts Dylan.

_Connor: mmmmmm drunk n i just came outtttt n i htink it went wel_

He locks his phone and forgets about it.

* * *

The next morning, he wakes up to three texts and a missed call from Dylan, and he’s kind of groggy, but he remembers coming out to the team– that, he was sober enough for– but he doesn’t remember the text to Dylan until he scrolls up.

_Dylan: what do u mean_

_Dylan: ??? dude_

_Dylan: text me when ur awake alright_

_Fuck,_ Connor thinks, dialing Dylan’s number.

“Hey,” Dylan says, picking up after one ring. “What’s up, you seemed pretty drunk last night.”

“Yeah, I was. Uh, I texted you something, right,” Connor says.

“It’s fine if you–” Dylan starts, but Connor cuts him off.

“No, I’m– I’m gay,” Connor says. “Sorry I drunk texted you instead of like, actually telling you.”

“It’s fine. Like, I get it, I’m not– offended, or whatever,” Dylan says. “I’m happy for you.”

“You are?” Connor says, surprised and kind of relieved.

“Duh,” Dylan says. “You’re my bestie, of course I’m happy for you. Uh, what– what prompted this realization?” There’s something tense in his voice that Connor can’t place.

“Uh, just– I don’t know. I was thinking about the whole ‘true love’s kiss’ thing, or whatever, and just, thinking about what I wanted from like, my true love, and it wasn’t something I could picture with a girl.”

“So– so you found him,” Dylan says. “True love.”

“No, not yet,” Connor says.

“Oh,” Dylan says. “You haven’t.” The weirdness dissipates, and Connor tries not to read into that.

“Nope. I tried a few teammates and went on one date, but no dice.”

“Wait, teammates?”

“Yeah,” Connor laughs. “It was a thing.”

“Well, good to know Leon Draisaitl isn’t your soulmate. Wait, did you kiss Draisaitl? That feels like something you would do.”

“I don’t kiss and tell,” Connor says, and he’d bet anything that Dylan can hear him grin right now.

“That means you did,” Dylan says. “Oh my god.”

“Fuck off,” Connor laughs.

“Well, I’m excited for you, man, really,” Dylan says.

“Thanks,” Connor says. “That means a lot.”

“Of course,” Dylan says. “True love’s kiss is that much closer, right?”

“Yeah,” Connor says, and he ignores the feeling in his stomach he gets when he hears Dylan say the word “love.”

* * *

Getting knocked out of the Stanley Cup playoffs sucks, but at least he gets to go to Windsor and see Dylan.

He tries to keep calm about it, tells himself that there’s no way Dylan’s freaking out about this as much, but that doesn’t work out, because Dylan keeps texting him exclamation marks and goofy emojis and sending him Snapchats.

It probably says something, Connor thinks, that he can look at what might be the world’s worst beard and godawful dyed hair and still find him attractive.

Then Connor sees the beard in real life, and the outgrown yellow mess on his head, and still, somehow, wants to kiss him. He settles for a hug, though– a good hug, of course, because it’s Dylan.

“Davo,” Dylan says, soft and happy in Connor’s ear. “Man, I’ve missed you.”

“Me too, bud,” Connor says.

Dylan’s the one to break the hug, because Connor probably wouldn’t have. “What’s up, man? How’s the show and all that?”

“It’s– it’s fun, but I’d much rather be playing still.”

“Yeah,” Dylan says, and he’s smiling. “Gotta say, I’m not jealous of you, man.”

“Well, yeah, I’m still fucking sick.”

“Still no true love?” Dylan says, and Connor looks away and shrugs.

“Yeah, nothing yet. I dunno.”

“Alright,” Dylan says. “You feeling good enough to go out?”

“Of course,” Connor says with a small smile.

They go to the hotel where Dylan’s staying, and thankfully, he doesn’t have a roommate. Not that Connor’s opposed to seeing the guys. But he kind of wants some one-on-one time with Dylan.

“So,” Connor says. “Uh, how’re you feeling about the tournament?”

“I mean–” Dylan says. “It’s the Memmer, you know?”

“Uh, no,” Connor says. “Never played in it.”

“Okay, but– like, it’s a big deal, you know? After– after World Juniors and all that. It’s sort of the last thing, you know? My like, last chance to be okay being sent back. I guess.”

“Dude,” Connor says, “you know that’s not true.”

“It kind of is,” Dylan says.

“Dude, you’ve done so much good shit here. Like– alright, getting sent back sucked, right? But you won the fucking OHL championship and did some really good shit at World Juniors–”

“Still lost,” Dylan mumbles.

“You came in _second._ In a _shootout._ You came as close as you could to winning and it was– it was literally luck, you know that, right?”

Dylan shrugs again. “It’d be nice if luck worked on my side, for once. Like, I’m fine with shitty luck, but– this team deserves to win this, you know?”

Connor knows that Dylan’s had a hard time catching a break this year, but it’s different, worse, to see him like this. And it’s selfish, but he wants to kiss him, so, so badly, let him know everything will be okay, hold him and tell him just how great he is, how he’s not letting anyone down–

But he can’t. He can’t, of course, because Dylan isn’t his, and he has other people to be kissing, people who might make him better, who will get him to stop pining after his best friend once and for all.

He does put an arm around Dylan, though, and feels him take long, deep breaths, the kind that he takes when he’s trying not to cry.

“You guys are a really fucking good team,” Connor says.

“They are,” Dylan agrees. “Hey, uh, let’s talk about something else.”

“Sure,” Connor says. “Whatever you want.”

“How about your true love?” Dylan asks. “That seems much more fun.”

“Oh god,” Connor says. “That’s a mess. It’s– no new updates. I went out with one guy off Tinder, but that wasn’t– that was just– you know, messing around and stuff.”

“Did you like him?” Dylan asks.

“Does it matter?” Connor responds.

“I mean, we can just talk about your love life in general,” Dylan says. “Like, I dunno. Did you?”

“Not really,” Connor confesses. “I mean, it kinda sucks, you know? I didn’t really realize I was into guys until after the whole ‘true love’s kiss’ thing, and then I didn’t really get to– act on it, I guess.”

“You can still date people,” Dylan says. “Or, you know, hook up.”

Connor shrugs. “I guess,” he says.

“So was that guy the only guy you really, uh, did stuff with?” Dylan asks. “Just curious.”

Connor feels his face turn red. “Well, uh, before I knew I was– I–” Dylan’s looking at Connor expectantly. “There was one guy in the league,” he manages to say.

A small smile spreads over Dylan’s face. “Really,” he says.

It’s at that moment that Connor realizes that Dylan’s just being an asshole. “You– you fucking know, don’t you,” he says, smiling a bit back at him.

Dylan shrugs. “He told me right after it happened.”

“Fucking Marns,” Connor groans. “You’ve been sitting on that for so long, oh my god.”

“He was just trying to figure out if you’d feel weird, or if you were, I don’t know, out. He legitimately didn’t tell anyone else, I promise.”

“I didn’t even realize, then,” says Connor. “Like, that I’m gay.”

“How,” Dylan says. “How do you not know?” He’s laughing now.

“Listen, I thought straight dudes sometimes wanted to hook up with dudes, alright? In my–“ he playfully shoves Dylan. “In my defense, I clearly was awful at being a straight dude.”

“You got that right,” Dylan says. “I gotta ask, though– Marns?”

Connor blushes a bit. “I don’t know– he’s cute, or whatever, and– it just happened.”

“I just think it’s hilarious,” Dylan says. “At least we know Marns isn’t your true love, though, right?”

“Thank god for that,” Connor says.

“Do you think you’re gonna, like, try hard this summer? To find him, I mean?”

“Probably,” Connor says. “It’s weird though.”

“Yeah,” Dylan says. “I’m sorry bud.” He pats Connor’s knee and gives him a sympathetic look.

Connor just shrugs, and tries to not think about how warm Dylan’s hand feels.

* * *

Connor hangs around Windsor for most of the tournament.

He doesn’t see Dylan after their first win, because the team goes out to celebrate together, but he does see him after his ridiculous win against St. John.

He almost kisses him on the spot– he could probably get away with it, too, because 7 points is fucking ridiculous– but he settles on hugging him tightly.

“Of course,” he mutters in Dylan’s ear, because he really isn’t surprised. Dylan’s kind of a superstar.

Connor doesn’t think he’s ever been this invested in the Memmer, but it’s Dylan’s tournament at this point. And the Otters are doing well, because they’re so fucking good, and Connor misses his new team, but seeing his old team kick this much ass is kind of satisfying.

Which is probably why it hurts when they lose.

It was so close, too– there were so many bounces that could have gone in different directions, and Erie was fighting until the last second, and it feels wrong to see the Spitfires lifting up the Memorial Cup.

He knows they had a good tournament, but still, he wanted this for Erie, and for Dylan.

Dylan, who is currently crying on the ice, and Connor feels it, and maybe he’s crying too, he doesn’t really know, he just kind of wants to get to Dylan.

But he doesn’t. He knows that right now is time for the team, and this isn’t his team anymore. He’s just– a fan, a former captain. So he goes back to his hotel and waits, until Dylan tells him to come over, so he does.

He knocks on the door of Dylan’s hotel room and Dylan opens it, and Connor can tell he’s been crying. Which kind of gets Connor going again, so he just throws himself onto Dylan and hugs him tightly, because he feels bad for crying at all.

“Hey,” Dylan says. “I’m–”

“This is bullshit,” Connor says, breaking away.

“No, it’s not,” Dylan says. “They won.”

“But they’re not– they’ve had a month to just like, rest.”

“They still won,” Dylan says. “They played good hockey and _won.”_

“And you guys played fucking great hockey and lost,” Connor says. “I’m sorry, it’s– I don’t know. I thought it was going to happen for you guys.”

Dylan gives him a sad smile. “It’s alright,” he says. “Things could be worse. At least I get to shave now, right?”

“Gonna stick with the blonde?” Connor asks.

Dylan shrugs. “Until I get around to getting a haircut. I think the beard’s the worst part of it, though.”

Connor bites his tongue to keep himself from telling Dylan he looks beautiful no matter what. “Your call, man.”

“I’m gonna shave right now, if– if that’s cool with you.”

So Connor sits in the bathroom while Dylan shaves, making idle chatter about the Jays and summer plans.

“So, you’re gonna buckle down on Grindr,” Dylan says.

“No,” Connor says. “I– I don’t know. I’m gonna try and meet more people but, like, it’s not that bad, honestly. I don’t even notice I’m sick anymore.”

“Dude, you can’t just ignore it, okay? Seriously.”

“I can,” Connor says. “I’m fine, I promise.”

Dylan looks like he’s about to say something, but then he seems to change his mind. “I’m gonna go to bed soon, I think,” he says. “You can– you’re welcome to stay over.”

“Thanks,” says Connor, looking at the lone bed in the room. “You sure?”

“Yeah, obviously.”

Later, as they’re lying next to each other, Connor turns to face Dylan.

“Stromer?” he asks.

“Yeah?” Dylan says sleepily.

“You’re like, officially done with the O,” Connor says. “Congrats.”

Dylan smiles. “Thanks.”

“You’re so fucking good,” Connor says.

“You’re sweet. C’mon, let’s sleep,” Dylan says, reaching out for Connor.

Connor nestles himself in Dylan’s arms and drifts off.

* * *

The next morning, Connor wakes up feeling warm and rested, and blinks open his eyes to see Dylan staring down at him, his expression focused.

Before Connor can say anything, Dylan leans down and kisses him.

He wonders if he’s dreaming for a second, but he also kisses back, because even if he can’t really explain this, he’s definitely not going to stop it.

Kissing Dylan feels so, so good– good in a way that no other kiss has felt, like a switch being flipped in him, and everything is centered and okay and–

And Connor’s throat doesn’t hurt anymore.

He pulls back and stares at Dylan, who’s staring right back at him with wide eyes.

“Uh–” Connor says, unsure of how to find words when all he can do is look at Dylan’s eyes.

“I’ve– I’ve had this weird cough thing for a while now,” Dylan says. “They, uh, they thought it was strep, and I was able to keep playing, but– but I remembered about your thing, and I. Uh. I had to try.”

“You were– did it work?” Connor asks.

“Did it work for you?” Dylan asks in response.

Connor’s kind of frozen, because he can’t imagine anything worse than realizing Dylan’s like, the love of his life, and not getting that in return.

“It– it’s alright if it didn’t, or if you don’t want to, or don’t want to tell me, I completely– I just had to know, uh, on my end,” Dylan says.

Connor nods, numbly. “I– you should tell me. If you want.”

Dylan looks down, then turns his head away from Connor, and Connor can see that he’s blushing. “My, uh, throat feels better.”

The words make Connor almost dizzy. “Mine too,” he says, and he’s staring at Dylan, because they’re– this is– he’s–

_Dylan._

Connor doesn’t so much lean in to kiss him as lunges at him, because holy fuck, this is it, Dylan’s _it_ , the way Connor always knew and always hoped he’d be.

“Stromer,” Connor says, between kisses. “Holy fuck.”

“I know, I– fuck,” Dylan says, and he grabs the back of Connor’s hair and yanks him in to kiss some more.

They should eventually get around to talking about this, Connor thinks, but right now, all he wants to do is kiss Dylan, and it seems like all Dylan wants to do is kiss him.

“Fuck,” Dylan says again, and he pulls Connor on top of him, and Connor can feel that Dylan is hard. Hesitantly, he puts his hand at the waistband of Dylan’s boxers, and takes it as a promising sign when Dylan’s hips buck up beneath him.

“I want to blow you,” says Connor, and Dylan does this half-gasp, half-moan in response.

“Yeah, you should– oh my god, yeah,” says Dylan. “That– that’s a good idea.”

Connor’s not, like, an expert at sucking dick, but he’s done it twice before, and he’s enjoyed it way more than he thought he would both times. Still, though, this is Dylan, so Connor tries hard to focus and go slow, making sure every time he moves on Dylan’s dick, it feels good.

“Jesus,” Dylan says. “Davo, what the fuck, you’re so– oh my _god._ ” His dick twitches in Connor’s mouth, so Connor takes that to mean he’s doing well. He brings his hand up and strokes Dylan a couple times, then deepthroats him, and the sound Dylan makes in response is the most beautiful thing Connor’s ever heard.

“I– just like that, yeah,” Dylan says, and Connor moves his hand and mouth a little faster, and squeezes a little tighter. “Oh my god, you’re– holy fuck, I’m not gonna last–”

Connor hums, and lets Dylan thrust into his mouth a few times, and then Dylan says “I’m coming” as his come hits the back of Connor’s throat.

Connor works him through it before he falls on the bed next to Dylan, who holds out an arm for him to snuggle into.

“Holy fuck,” Dylan says, still a little breathless. “That was fucking amazing.”

Connor laughs. “Thanks,” he says.

“I– holy fuck,” Dylan says again, and they cuddle silently for the next few minutes, Connor stroking up fingers up and down Dylan’s arm.

It’s Dylan who speaks first.“You’re– we should, like, have a conversation, right?”

“Probably,” Connor says.

“So, uh, that was true love’s kiss back there,’ Dylan says. “Followed up with true love’s blowjob.”

“I– yeah,” Connor says. “How do we, uh, feel about that?”

Dylan thinks for a second. “I mean, it makes sense, right? There’s a reason for it, and we’re, like, not– not obligated to be together _forever_ or anything, but, like, I don’t know. You’re super important to me, and it sort of feels like– more right that it’s me, and not just some random guy?”

“It does,” Connor says. “But like, I feel like I dragged you into this? Just because I was sick?”

“I was sick too,” Dylan points out. “It’s both of us. And I– I’ve wanted this, too.”

“You have?” Connor asks.

“Yeah. I, um– when you first told me that you had to find someone, I was so prepared to be jealous,” Dylan says.

“Actually?” Connor says, smiling. “You– I sort of wanted it to be you. I mean, I’d prefer to not be sick at all, but it’s better that it’s you who like, made it better.”

“Gotta agree with you there,” Dylan says, smiling back.

“So, uh, are you– are you into guys? And like, okay with it?”

Dylan shrugs. “I don’t know. I mean– when Marns first told me that you two, uh, hooked up, I sort of– I wanted that to be me? And like, Marns is legit bi, and I’m just sort of–” he makes a gesture with his hand. “But I guess I realized then that, uh, it was something I’d like. You, I mean, not Marns.”

“God, I can’t believe that happened,” Connor says, burying his face in his hands.

“I think it’s hilarious,” Dylan says. “I’m working on a hookup tree for him. That boy got around the O. And the League, too.”

“I’m kind of curious,” Connor says.

“I’ll show it to you one day. You have some impressive second-degree hookups,” Dylan smirks.

“Oh god,” Connor says. “But, uh, he’s done? That’s what he told me, that he’s not really hooking up anymore.”

“He’s gone all domestic now,” Dylan says. “It’s cute, I’m happy for him.”

“He has a boyfriend?” Connor asks.

“Yep,” Dylan says. “Is, uh, that something you’d want, you think? From me?”

“What?” Connor asks.

“Like, in terms of this,” Dylan says, gesturing between them. “Like, do you want all that romantic stuff? Holding hands and dinner dates and all that shit?”

“I– yeah, I’d like that if you would,” Connor says.

“I would, yeah,” Dylan says, and Connor smiles.

“So we’re– we’re doing this,” he says. “Dating each other.”

“I’m in if you are,” Dylan says.

“Awesome,” Connor says, smiling and resting his head on Dylan’s chest.

They spend the rest of the morning alternating between making out and cuddling in Dylan’s hotel room, and it’s the best Connor’s felt in months. Maybe it’s the fact that he’s healthy for the first time in a while, but it’s also the fact that every time he gets the urge to touch Dylan, or kiss him, he can.

They watch TV for a bit wearing only their underwear, and Connor can tell Dylan how good he looks, and how good it feels when Dylan wraps his arms around him. Eventually, though, it stops being morning, and they have to face the day, which means separating.

Connor doesn’t want to leave Dylan, but he has offseason stuff to do in Edmonton, and Dylan has to pack up his stuff in Erie before heading home for the summer.

“Listen, I’m gonna be honest,” Dylan says, throwing clothes haphazardly in his suitcase, “if I don’t make the roster this year–”

“Don’t think like that,” Connor says, his brow furrowing.

“No, I am,” Dylan says, but he sounds more determined than sad. “Like, it’s a reality. And I gotta– I want training camp to go well, you know? That means lots of work in the offseason.”

“Yeah,” Connor says. “I mean, after this season, they’ve gotta know you’re ready.”

“I mean– I think everyone sort of agrees that nothing I do in the O means I’m ready for the real deal, right?”

“Hey–”

“I’m not trying to be negative here. Just, there’s– I guess there’s still a lot to prove.”

Connor doesn’t like that, because he really doesn’t think Dylan has much to prove at this point. But he wasn’t sent down twice, so maybe it’s something he won’t understand.

“I’m gonna try and come down to Toronto, then,” Connor says.

“If you have time,” Dylan says. “I won’t be mad if you can’t.”

Connor blinks at him. “I– I want to?”

“Oh,” Dylan says, and he looks surprised at that.

“When are you gonna be back in Toronto?”

“In a few days,” Dylan says.

“Alright, I’ll fly down the day you get back. I just have a few press things to do first, but like, as soon as I can.”

“You’re gonna fly in from Edmonton,” Dylan says, an eyebrow raised.

“Yeah,” Connor says. “I mean, I can afford it.”

“Really? You have nothing better to do besides flying to Toronto?”

“Well, you’re in Toronto, so, no, not really,” Connor says.

Dylan gives him a genuine fond smile, and it makes Connor blush. “That’s a pretty romantic gesture, you know,” he says.

“Yeah, well, least I could do for true love’s kiss,” Connor says.

“It’s– you don’t owe me anything,” Dylan says, and he steps towards him.

Connor puts his hands on Dylan’s shoulders and looks him in the eye as he says, “I know.” Then, he leans in and kisses him, slow and firm, then puts a kiss on his nose, because he can.

It startles a laugh out of Dylan. “You’re a sap,” he says.

“You are too,” Connor says, shrugging, because he’s not going to deny it. He’s happy, and Dylan’s smiling, and that’s really all that matters right now.

* * *

Connor’s only been back for fifteen minutes, but he figures he should tell Nuge and Nursey about it in person, and he kind of wants to do it as soon as possible, so he invites Nuge over to hang around until Nursey gets back.

Nuge figures it out within three seconds of seeing Connor.

“Found true love, huh?” he says as he walks into Connor’s apartment.  

Connor blinks at him. “What?”

“You don’t look like you’re dying anymore,” Nuge says. “Plus, you have a weird smile on your face, which is usually what happens when people start dating.”

Connor consciously turns down the corners of his mouth. “I, uh–”

“You don’t have to tell me, if you don’t want, but congratulations,” he says.

“Thanks,” Connor says, letting the smile spread across his face again. “I was gonna tell you and Nurse at the same time, but he’s out.”

“He’ll see it too, don’t worry,” Nuge says.

“That obvious?” Connor asks.

“Sort of,” Nuge says. “I bet he says something within ten seconds.”

“He will not,” Connor says, but he doesn’t put money on it.

Nursey gets back an hour later, with Leon in tow. They arrive at the same time as a snap from Dylan announcing his arrival in Erie, though, and Connor opens it as they walk into the living room.

“Hey–” Nursey says, and Connor looks up from his phone, and he realizes he’s smiling like an idiot, and he hears Nuge choke back a laugh next to him, which means he’s probably wearing everything on his face.

“Hi,” he says, not bothering to contain his expression. If he wants to look happy, he can look happy.

“Captain’s back to full health?” Nursey asks, eyebrows raised. “You seem much better.”

“He is,” Nuge says, and then he turns to Connor. “Told you.”

“Fuck off,” Connor grumbles, but he’s still smiling.

“So, you went to Windsor for the Memorial Cup, and you come back with true love’s kiss,” Nursey says. “Gee, Connor, weren’t the Otters in that tournament? With that captain, oh, what’s his name–”

“Maybe– maybe it was him, yeah,” Connor admits, a little annoyed that he doesn’t get to deliver the news himself.

“Oh, so it is Strome,” Leon says. “Figures.”

That takes Connor by surprise. “What?” he says, turning to look at Leon.

“You talk about him all the time,” Leon says. “It’s not brain surgery.”

“Yeah,” Nuge says. “Once we realized your true love was gonna be a guy, we all sort of figured it was him.”

“You guys talked about me behind my back?” Connor says.

“Well, no,” Nursey says. “We all figured it out on our own. I mean, you told me and Nuge–”

“That I was into him,” Connor says, “not that I thought he was–”

“You learned you had to find true love’s kiss and realized you were super into your best friend within a month,” Nuge says.

“For the record, I thought you guys were dating months ago,” Leon says. “Until this whole ‘true love’ thing went down.”

“So what, I was the last one to realize?” Connor says.

“It’s alright,” Nuge says. “It makes for a good story.”

“I guess,” Connor says.

“It’s cute,” Leon says. “I mean, you got a big romantic ending.”

“You don’t even know how it happened,” Connor protests.

“I know it ends with true love’s kiss,” Leon says, “literally.”

“And for the record, you’ve been smiling pretty much nonstop since we walked in,” Nursey says.

“He’s been like this since _I_ walked in,” Nuge corrects. “It’s weird.”

Connor shrugs, but he’s still smiling, and the guys roll their eyes at him.

“So, are you flying him out to Edmonton?” Nursey asks. “You should introduce him to the team. If it’s gonna be a thing, I mean.”

Connor hadn’t really considered that. “I’m going to Toronto in a few days,” he says. “He’s pretty focused on training. I’ll ask, though.”

“Have you guys thought about how you’re gonna handle media stuff?” Nuge asks.

Connor shakes his head. “I, uh– I don’t know, we were more focused on, um, other stuff. We didn’t really think about that part of it.”

“They’ll deal with it when they need to,” Leon says. “They’ll be alright.”

“Yeah,” Connor says, relaxing a little bit, if not fully.

* * *

Dylan’s waiting for Connor by baggage claim when he lands in Toronto, and waves him over when he sees him. Connor half runs, and he can’t stop smiling. It’s probably silly, because it’s only been a few days, but they literally just started dating, so he figures it’s normal to miss Dylan a little too much. He reaches him and immediately gives him a huge, tight hug, and Dylan squeezes him back.

“Hi,” Dylan says in his ear.

“Hey,” Connor says, and he’s smiling into Dylan’s shoulder, and this feels so right.

They break apart, though, and Connor almost leans in to kiss him before he remembers they’re in public.

They could kiss, theoretically. There aren’t any rules against it, and people aren’t expecting to see him here anyway, and probably don’t care. But it’s not something he can just _do_ , and he suddenly regrets not talking about it during their conversation last night. As fun as phone sex had been, talking about big things was probably important too.

“Uh,” Connor says, unsure of what to do with his arms all of a sudden.

“Do you have bags to get?” Dylan asks, his brow furrowing.Connor can tell he’s worrying, which, fuck, Connor doesn’t want him to worry.

“No, just this,” he says, gesturing to his carry on. “Want to go to the car?”

“Sure,” Dylan says. “I can take that from you.”

Connor blushes. “Oh, uh, thanks. You don’t have to.”

Dylan gives him a small smile. “My pleasure.”

They chat about the weather and the Jays as they walk to Dylan’s car, but once they’re inside, Dylan switches the subject abruptly.

“You’re acting weird,” he says plainly.

“I– not really,” Connor says.

“No, we hugged, and then you got weird,” Dylan says.

“I– okay, yeah, there was a weird moment. It’s small, though, I promise.”

“You’re sure?” Dylan says.

“Yeah. I just– I wanted to kiss you,” Connor says.

Dylan smiles as he turns the key in the ignition. “I thought we were past you getting embarrassed about that.”

“I mean– we were in public, and I almost did, and a couple of days ago, um, the guys started asking me about stuff. Like, how we’re gonna tell people, or if we’re gonna tell people, or– I don’t know, there’s just a lot to talk about.” Connor knows he’s rambling, but he figures it’s better to let it all out than not say anything.

“Oh,” Dylan says, but he doesn’t look upset. “I– yeah, that’s a good point.”

“Alright,” Connor says. “Uh, so, who are we telling?”

“I– I mean, I told a couple guys on my team, you told a couple guys on yours, right?” Dylan says, and Connor nods. “So, like, I don’t know. I, uh, want to tell my family and stuff.”

“Yeah, same,” Connor says.

“Alright, so them. And, like– I’m fine with you telling whoever, honestly.”

“What about the media and stuff?” Connor asks.

Dylan’s quiet for a second, thinking. “I mean– shit, I didn’t even think about that.”

“Yeah,” Connor says. “We should have a plan for that, though.”

“No, you’re right. Uh, can we– you’re here for a few days, right?” Dylan asks.

“Don’t have to be back in Edmonton for a week,” Connor says. “If you let me train with you, I can spend like, all of that here.”

“Alright. We can take our time, then,” Dylan says. “Not– not putting it off. Just, like, I don’t know. Big questions take big answers, right?”

“Yeah,” Connor says. “We’ll work it out.”

“That’s a plan, at least. Uh, until then, we should probably– you know, not hold hands in public, or anything.”

“Alright,” Connor says, a little disappointed.

“I’m still taking you on a date, though,” Dylan says. “Like, I made reservations for tonight. We’ll just pretend it’s a bro date.”

“Yeah?” Connor says. “Nice place?”

“Duh, I’m an amazing date,” Dylan says.

“I’m sure,” Connor says, smiling.

* * *

The place, it turns out, is incredibly romantic, and maybe it would pass for a bro date if Dylan’s foot wasn’t running up and down Connor’s leg from the second they sat down.

Connor blushes immediately, and Dylan just laughs at him.

“I thought we were going to be subtle,” Connor says, though he doesn’t actually mind.

Dylan shrugs. “This is more fun,” he says simply, and Connor can’t disagree. Dylan’s foot is warm, and almost teasing, and it gradually makes its way up Connor’s leg. And if Connor scoots forward in his seat at one point to give Dylan access to more of his thigh, well. There’s a tablecloth, and Connor is very, very grateful for it.

At the end of the meal he’s full, though he barely remembers what he ate, and he insists they leave without any dessert or coffee. Dylan pays, and they make their way out of the restaurant.

“What,” Dylan says, as they walk out of the restaurant, “I could have afforded dessert, you know.”

Connor stuffs his hands in his pockets as he walks briskly to Dylan’s car, and looks around to make sure no one can hear him before he says, “yeah, but if we were there any longer I would’ve had to blow you in the bathroom, and I don’t think my knees can take that.”

Dylan raises his eyebrows, smiles, and blushes all at once. “Didn’t realize you were so impatient,” he says, and he looks surprised and pleased.

“You were being such a fucking tease,” Connor says. “Your fucking _leg._ ”

“You didn’t mind, though,” Dylan says as they reach his car. “Did you?”

Connor climbs into the passenger seat and gives Dylan a look. “You’re not honestly asking me that.”

“It wasn’t– it wasn’t too far?” He gets into the car and shuts the door behind him.

“No,” Connor says, and leans in to kiss Dylan.

Dylan starts the car, and it’s not until he’s driving that Connor puts a hand on his knee. Dylan glances over at him.

“What are you doing?” Dylan says, and Connor only shrugs, and inches his hand upwards just a little bit as Dylan gulps.

“Taste of your own medicine,” Connor says.

“Alright,” Dylan says, his voice shaky. Connor’s fascinated by the way Dylan tenses up at the slight movement.

“Can you drive like this?” Connor says, and Dylan nods.

“It’s fine, yeah,” Dylan says. “Please don’t stop.”

There’s a slight whimper in the way he says it, and Connor really, really likes it.

He slowly works his way up Dylan’s thigh the rest of the ride back to his apartment. When they’re about five minutes away, he looks down and sees that Dylan is hard. Like, really hard, and Connor hasn’t even touched him, his hand a few inches away from where the outline of his cock is pressed up against the fabric of his pants.

“Oh my god,” Connor says. “You’re–”

“Yeah,” Dylan says, and Connor can hear how turned on he is.

“Oh my god,” Connor says again. “How long ‘til we’re back at yours?”

“A few more minutes,” Dylan says.

“Fuck,” Connor says, and moves his hand up again, staring at Dylan’s dick.

It twitches, and Connor swallows.

“Can I–” Connor says, moving his hand to the button of Dylan’s pants.

“Yeah,” Dylan says breathily.

He unbuttons Dylan’s pants, then unzips them, and he can see that Dylan’s dick is straining against the fabric of his boxers. If Dylan weren’t driving right now, Connor would definitely suck him off, but that seems dangerous, and potentially painful if they hit a bump.

Instead, Connor runs his thumb over the head of Dylan’s dick, and he feels it when precum leaks through.

“Jesus,” he says, and his voice is shaking. “Are we there yet?”

“Almost, just– oh my god,” Dylan says, as Connor rubs him lightly. “This is– we’re here.”

He parks his car on the street and quickly zips up his pants before giving Connor a hungry look. They run– literally sprint– the entire way to Dylan’s door, and Dylan slams the door behind him and kisses Connor the second they get inside the apartment.

“Fuck, Davo,” Dylan says, grabbing Connor’s hand and putting it on his dick. “Please, god–”

He’s already so far gone, just from the car ride home, and Connor’s amazed and turned on at once. He unbuttons Dylan’s pants quickly, and doesn’t even bother to take off his boxers, just sticks his hand down them, grabs Dylan’s dick, and gives it a few strokes.

“Stromer,” Connor says, and Dylan’s face is already red, and he’s gasping, and–

Dylan comes all over Connor’s hand and the inside of his boxers, right there against the door, still wearing most of his clothing.

It’s probably the hottest thing Connor’s ever experienced.

“Oh my god,” Connor says. “Holy fuck, Stromer–”

“I– let me touch you, please,” Dylan says.

“Of course, yeah, just– let’s get to the bedroom?”

They take off their shoes– because Dylan hadn’t even bothered to do that– and head down the hallway to Dylan’s room. Dylan strips off his pants and shirt, and, after a second, his boxers. Connor stares at him, appreciating the view, until he remembers that he should probably get naked too.

He gets to work unbuttoning his shirt, but before he finishes, Dylan kneels on the ground in front of him and undoes his pants.

“Is this okay?” Dylan asks.

“Yeah, yes, yeah,” Connor says dumbly.

He finishes removing his shirt, pulling it off as Dylan yanks his pants and boxers to the ground and takes Connor’s dick in his mouth.

Connor groans. “Fuck,” he says, “Dyl–”

Dylan makes a noise around his dick, and the vibration makes Connor groan. He hadn’t realized how desperate he was to be touched until Dylan had offered it, but he’s really hard already, and he wonders if he’ll come too fast.

Dylan pulls off his dick and looks up. “Am I– is this alright?”

“Yeah, yes,” Connor says.

“I’ve never, uh, done this, so give me pointers,” Dylan says. “You can, um, guide me along.” Then he goes right back to sucking Connor’s dick.

Connor absently puts a hand in Dylan’s hair and tries to guide his pace, mindful to not go too deep.

Dylan brings a hand up, which feels fucking incredible, and his mouth is so wet and warm and he’s moving just right, and–

“I’m gonna come,” Connor says, and Dylan doesn’t let up, just moves a little faster, squeezes a little tighter.

Connor comes in Dylan’s mouth, and when Connor’s all done, Dylan kisses his thigh before getting up and flopping onto the bed. He gives Connor an expectant look, so Connor lies down next to him and puts his head on his chest.

“There’s no way that was your first time,” Connor says. “That was too good.”

Dylan laughs. “I’m glad you liked it.”

“I’m serious, that was, like, expert,” Connor says.

Dylan shrugs. “I dunno, man. I know what feels good, I guess?”

“You’re a fucking genius,” Connor says, and Dylan’s chest feels so good.

“You’re one to talk,” Dylan says. “That shit you pulled in the car– fuck.”

“I loved getting you hard,” Connor says. “Is that weird?”

Dylan shrugs. “I don’t think it is.”

“Good,” Connor says. “We’re great at this.”

“What, sex?” Dylan says.

“I mean, yeah, just– being boyfriends. I don’t know. I’m glad,” Connor says.

Dylan gives him a squeeze. “So am I.”

“What time is training tomorrow?” Connor asks.

“Too early,” Dylan says. “We should go to bed.”

“Good, I’m sleepy,” Connor says, realizing it as he says it.

“Alright. I’m gonna shower, but I’ll be back in a second, okay?” Dylan says, and Connor nods, his eyelids already falling shut.

He doesn’t wake up until Dylan crawls into bed, and the only thing he sees in the brief time he opens his eyes is Dylan’s smile. He closes them again, and then he’s surrounded by Dylan, and it feels like he belongs right there.

* * *

**Epilogue:**

_Outsports, August 8, 2019_

_Ice Princes: Two Hockey Boys And Their Fairytale Romance_

_Dylan Strome and Connor McDavid are both boys from classic hockey backgrounds: raised in the Greater Toronto Area and loving the game from an early age, they were teammates on the Erie Otters, where both boys’ talents stood out, eventually leading them to be drafted 1st and 3rd overall in 2015, with McDavid going to the Edmonton Oilers, and Strome going to the Arizona Coyotes._

_For the next two seasons, the boys kept in touch as Strome finished out his career in the OHL, taking over as captain. McDavid went on to play with, and eventually captain, the Oilers, becoming the youngest captain in NHL history._

_“Some guys lose touch, especially when you’re in different leagues, but we were lucky enough to avoid that,” McDavid says._

_“Yeah, we kept a snapstreak going during his playoffs, even,” Strome adds, smiling._

_He’s referring to the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs, which the Edmonton Oilers appeared in for the first time in over a decade under McDavid’s captaincy._

_Strome, in the same year, led the Erie Otters to their first OHL championship title in 14 years, and eventually made it to the Memorial Cup final, setting tournament and franchise records along the way._

_The 2017 Memorial Cup also marks their anniversary as a couple._

_“Technically, it was the day after,” McDavid says. “But it was that weekend.”_

_McDavid had flown in to see his former team and best friend in the tournament, and by the end of the weekend, the two were officially boyfriends._

_“We were so happy for them,” says McDavid’s teammate and roommate, Darnell Nurse. “I mean, maybe some guys on the team had a problem, but those guys kept their mouths shut, you know? Everyone loves [McDavid], everyone respects him, and we could all see how happy he was.”_

_They spent the rest of that summer splitting time between Edmonton and Toronto, where Strome was spending his offseason. They each had trainers set up in both cities, who coordinated their schedules via email._

_“I don’t know, I guess, when you’re a pro athlete, people expect you to kind of buy all this high-end, luxury stuff, but getting time together seemed better than, I don’t know, a new car or whatever,” McDavid says._

_“Are you saying I’m a luxury?” Strome asks, grinning._

_They attempted to keep things under wraps at first, according to the pair, telling only close friends, teammates, and family. Soon, though, they began to be more candid about their relationship status in public._

_“It was sort of like, what would happen if we held hands? And then we did, and no one noticed, it didn’t make headlines, we didn’t lose sponsors. So we just kept doing it. Stuff like that,” Strome says. “We figured, if people figure it out, they figure it out. We weren’t ashamed of it.”_

_Social media also played a role in their gradual coming out process. McDavid appeared in a livestream that Strome hosted on Instagram this past winter, which many mark as the first time the couple publicly acknowledged their relationship._

_“It wasn’t a big deal,” Strome says. “I was bored, and felt like livestreaming. [McDavid] was there, and like, I dunno, it just sort of came up. It wasn’t like, anything we hadn’t done in public, but people were watching.”_

_During the stream, McDavid kissed Strome’s cheek and called him “babe.” There were 5000 viewers at the time._

_“The chat just sort of blew up, and everyone was debating whether or not we were together. I just panicked and ended it right there, and went to find him, and was just like, ‘hey, I think we came out?’” Strome recalls._

_McDavid worried that he’d accidentally outed them before they were ready, but Strome assured him it was fine. After several long conversations, the pair confirmed their relationship via Twitter a week later._

_McDavid says that coming out hasn’t made a difference in their relationship, though he does get a little more fan attention. “It’s nice to hear from fans, especially kids who were always scared that they couldn’t be themselves and play hockey at the same time,” he says._

_The response has been mostly positive, and the players credit the unwavering support of their teams for that,_

_“It was pretty much like, ‘If you’re not comfortable with this, then you’re not doing your part for the team.’ And I think that sort of kept guys in line,” McDavid says._

_Strome had not yet made the Coyotes roster when the two first struck up a relationship, so he was more nervous about coming out to his teammates. He believes McDavid’s status as a player helped him._

_“I think most guys were just impressed that I’d managed to bag The Next One,” Strome says, referring to the nickname that various articles used to describe McDavid as a draft prospect and young player._

_Strome has since asserted himself as a key part of the Coyotes franchise as a powerful, productive center, though he still teases McDavid about being the “real superstar” of their relationship._

_McDavid clearly thinks the world of his partner’s athletic ability, though. Generally soft-spoken and humble, he lights up when talking about playing hockey together._

_“It’s kind of awesome when our teams play each other,” McDavid says. “I mean, you always watch tape, but it’s different– we know each other’s game so well at this point. It’s exciting.”_

_Strome doesn’t quite agree. “I like that we’re in the same city. It’s nice to spend time together, obviously. It’s not fun that one of us always loses. We usually comfort each other, though.”_

_Navigating a relationship during the busy NHL season is also tricky. Between games, travel time, practices, and other obligations, the pair admit that they sometimes go long stretches of days without having an actual conversation, usually during busy parts of the season._

_“Sometimes people ask me for, like, advice about long distance relationships, and I just tell them to ask someone else. We’re both in similar situations during the season– we like, use Snapchat and stuff, but we can’t always find time to call each other,” McDavid says._

_“We try and send each other small things, though. Like, we don’t set a schedule, but if I think of something I want to tell him, I send it to him, he responds whenever. It works for us,” Strome says. “He’s always right there in my pocket. If I really miss him, I’ll keep him on the phone with me all day, and leave my headphones in and just talk while I’m like, getting coffee, or working out.”_

_“We once lasted 16 hours, and he made me look up whether or not that was a record,” McDavid adds with a smile. “It wasn’t, unfortunately.”_

_The couple has lived together in Toronto for the past two summers. During the season, they make time to see each other whenever possible. If one is playing somewhere and the other can get there within an hour and a half, they try to meet up. Usually, circumstances are fortunate enough a couple times a month._

_“It sounds like a lot more work than it is,” McDavid says. “I mean, there’s a lot of schedule balancing, but I get to see him at the end of it, so it’s worth it.”_

_With solid NHL résumés under their belts, and two bright hockey careers ahead, neither of them is thinking about retirement. Still, the couple has little doubt that they’ll be in each other’s futures, despite the fact that their franchises are 1400 miles apart and neither of them is requesting a trade any time soon._

_“I mean, he didn’t manage to shake me off when he was in Edmonton and I was still in Erie, so it looks like he’s stuck with me now,” Strome says._

_“Looking back, I definitely had a thing for him in the O,” McDavid says. “And after two years apart, I still had a thing for him. We can handle distance. It might be a lot of effort, but he’s my best friend, and I don’t think that’s ever going to change.”_

 

**Author's Note:**

> WARNINGS:  
> -A character is ill with a sore throat and general fatigue for a good chunk of the story. There is no graphic description of the symptoms, though once they recover, other characters note that they looked very bad. It's not an illness that would be worsened by athletic activity, but the character does play through illness for the latter part of the season. At no point does the character reference being sick as anything beyond discomfort or inconvenience.  
> -Two characters engage in sexual activity while one is driving and the other is in the passenger's seat. No one is actually harmed, there is no erratic driving, and the driver's eyes and focus remain on the road the entire time. Still, this is not safe or advisable behavior in any way. Both characters are sober and otherwise fit to drive.  
> -A character comes out while drunk. He's totally fine with it once he's sober.  
> -A character who is a gay man goes on a dinner date with a girl. He's not forced to go against his will, and while it's an awkward date, it's not traumatic. He is in the closet and has not yet fully admitted to himself that he's gay. They share a meal and part ways.  
> -If there is anything else you feel should be tagged for as a potential trigger, please let me know!
> 
> Bonus Content:  
> -this was almost called "kiss the captain"  
> -Imagine [ this picture ](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/lword-chart.jpg), but it says "Mitch" instead of "Shane," and Alice is Stromer. Dylan adds Connor after the two of them start dating, and Connor points out that Dylan belongs on it now too, so Dylan adds his name, then draws a heart around both of their names, and Connor blushes.  
> -More on the chart, because I love it: Mitch is two degrees away from Sidney Crosby, and he's very proud of it. Once Connor is added, every first overall pick since 2010 officially appears on the list. Connor is mildly scandalized to see that he's three degrees away from Sidney Crosby. He's also surprised but happy to see that he's two degrees from Taylor Hall.  
> -Please talk to me about this chart in the comments. I have so much to say about it.  
> \- Mitch, immediately after hooking up with Connor: hey Stromer so what if I uhhhhh had sex with your best friend  
> Dylan: I'M FINE OF COURSE HAHAHAHAHA THAT'S FINE! so what was it like? not in too much detail. or in as much detail as you want don't hold back. sorry am i being weird? is it hot in here? or is it just me.  
> Mitch: we're on the phone, dylan.  
> Dylan changes Mitch's name to "Mitchell" in his contacts and lets their snapstreak die. It's brutal.  
> -Dylan had months to process the news that Connor was maybe into guys, which is why he was so calm about Connor coming out to him in a drunk text. Of course, he was awake when Connor sent him that text, and proceeded to not sleep the entire night, and rehearsed exactly what he was going to say based on several potential reactions from Connor instead. Maybe that's why he looked so tired the entire postseason?  
> -An awkward first date and a one-dimensional OC have a lot in common, and I used that to my advantage.  
> -Connor gets chirped for not realizing he was gay when he had sex with a guy and enjoyed it, but, to be fair, the first time I ever made out with a girl, I thought, "wow, I really like this girl, making out with her was really fun! I really wish I were gay so I could date this girl I have a crush on." I didn't come out of the closet for another 6 months.  
> -My straight partner, reading this: Connor ignores a lot of his own feelings  
> Me, a nonbinary bisexual: Yeah that's what tends to happen in the closet  
> -Also my partner: is Dylan self-aware enough to realize how bad the beard looks?  
> -I delighted in making Dylan shave his beard in this story. Arguably the most self-indulgent part.  
> -The article at the end was published alongside photos of them on the ice. There's a particularly cute one where Dylan's dipping Connor and Connor's laughing. There were a lot of posed pictures, but the ones that make it into the magazine are all candids, because that's when Connor's smile looks best.  
> -Dylan and Connor spent a lot of the time pre-Official Public Coming Out seeing how couply they could be on social media without being discovered. Whenever they flirted in Instagram comments, though, everyone else would flirt harder. It was a really confusing time. Things peaked when Mitch said "my daddy looks so good" with a bajillion hearteyes/eggplant/water droplet emojis on one of Connor's photos. When asked about it during media scrum, Mitch's response was, "oh, you know, just, like, guys messing around with each other, I dunno, it's pretty funny though" as Auston Matthews pretty much lost it in the background.  
> -Four guesses as to who Mitch's boyfriend is.
> 
> Talk to me on [tumblr!](https://lottswrites.tumblr.com/)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic] tale as old as time by LottieAnna](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12231633) by [Hellspot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hellspot/pseuds/Hellspot)
  * [Did One Thing Right](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14138313) by [theshipstorulethemallwrites](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theshipstorulethemallwrites/pseuds/theshipstorulethemallwrites)




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